- "Re-geared for a new generation."
- —Gears of War Ultimate Edition slogan
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is a remaster of the original Gears of War game developed by The Coalition and Splash Damage and published by Microsoft Studios for Microsoft's Xbox One console and Windows 10 operating system. Announced at E3 2015 during Microsoft's press conference, the game features remastered graphics, textures and sound, while running at native 1080p 30 frames per second in the campaign and 1080p 60 frames per second in multiplayer, and will include the missions and maps from the Clayton Carmine (Unlocks at level 20) Jace Stratton (Unlocks at level 25) Golden Gear (Unlocks at level 40) Benjamin Carmine (Unlocks at level 60)
Locust
- Drone
- Sniper
- Grenadier
- Grenadier Elite
- Theron Guard
- Theron Elite
- RAAM
- Savage Grenadier Elite (GameStop Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus)
- Savage Kantus (EBGames Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus)
- Savage Theron (Amazon Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus)
- Savage Drone (Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus)
- Golden Hunter (Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus)
- Golden Locust Miner (Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus)
- Thrashball Drone (Received by playing the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Beta on Day 8)
- Kantus (Unlocks at level 7)
- Miner (Unlocks at level 12)
- Beast Rider (Unlocks at level 17)
- Spotter (Unlocks at level 23)
- Flame Grenadier (Unlocks at level 27)
- Savage Grenadier (Unlocks at level 35)
- Hunter Elite (Unlocks at level 45)
Multiplayer Maps
Ultimate Edition's updated visuals also apply to the original Gears of War multiplayer maps, with the inclusion of all the downloadable maps and the three Gears of War (PC) exclusive maps.
- Bullet Marsh
- Canals
- Clocktower
- Courtyard
- Escalation
- Fuel Depot
- Garden
- Gold Rush
- PC version of the original Gears of War that were absent from the Xbox 360 version of the game. More features have been added that include mechanics from newer Gears of War games, such as spotting and switching weapons while roadie running, among others. Gears of War: Ultimate Edition also supports dedicated servers for both online matchmaking and private matches. It was released on August 25, 2015 in North America and August 28, 2015 in Europe. The Windows 10 version of the game was released worldwide on March 1, 2016.
Game Basics
Getting to grips with the game's basics:
Story
The story of “Gears of War” thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surfaced from the bowels of the planet. Players live and breathe the role of Marcus Fenix. A disgraced former war hero, Marcus seeks personal redemption as he leads his fire team against an onslaught of merciless warriors from below.
Plot
Act 1: Ashes - As the game opens 14 years after Emergence Day, former soldier Marcus Fenix is freed from the Jacinto Maximum Security Prison by his close friend, Dominic Santiago, who needs Fenix's help in the fight against the Locust. Both manage to escape the prison moments before it is destroyed by a Corpser, and then meet up with the other members of Delta Squad, Anthony Carmine and Minh Young Kim. They receive orders to find Alpha Squad and secure possession of the "Resonator", a device intended to map out the Locust underground tunnel network for the Lightmass Bomb. En route to Alpha's last known location, Carmine is killed by a Locust sniper. Marcus, Dom, and Kim are able to meet up with a private from Alpha Squad, Augustus Cole, who says the rest of Alpha are at the Tomb of the Unknowns and that transmissions have been blocked by Seeders. Marcus then eliminates the Seeders using the Hammer of Dawn. After finding three more privates from Alpha, Damon Baird, Gyules, and an unknown Gear, they are ambushed by Locust Forces. Kim is separated from the others and is killed by General RAAM. While retreating into the Tomb, the unknown Gear is killed while providing cover fire. After Marcus defeats a Locust Berserker, which kills Gyules, the team confirms with headquarters that the Resonator is safe, and are then ordered to the Lethia Imulsion Facility, ten kilometers from their position. Marcus is also put in charge of Delta Squad in place of Kim.
Act 2: Nightfall - Dom suggests that the fastest way to reach the mine would be to borrow a Junker from a Stranded named Franklin, who owes Dom a favor from deals in the past. After reaching the camp, Franklin reluctantly agrees to give him the Junker on the condition that Cole and Baird stay behind at the Stranded camp to help them defend against the Locust. Dom agrees, and he and Marcus head across the ruined city as nightfall descends, bringing out the Kryll, carnivorous bat-like creatures that attack anything in the dark. The two fight through the Locust forces to reach Aspho gas station, where the Junker is kept, and then drive it back to the camp, defending themselves from the Kryll with an ultraviolet light equipped on the Junker that can kill the Kryll. The two arrive at the Stranded camp just in time to help defend it from a large Locust onslaught. Once the situation is secured, the team moves onward towards the mining facility in the Junker.
Act 3: Belly of the Beast - Delta Squad reaches the outskirts of the mining facility just as the Junker ceases to function. They make their way on foot through the abandoned facility and into the Imulsion mine tunnels, heading towards a pre-determined location where the effect of the Resonator should have maximum effect, all the while defending themselves against constant Locust onslaughts. The team eventually reach their target destination, after Marcus defeats a Corpser, and after securing the area, Baird sets off the Resonator device and they narrowly escape back to the surface. Unfortunately, the team quickly learns from HQ that the data collected from the Resonator blast was much too little to be of use for the Lightmass Bomb. However, a device found by Baird seems to already contain a near-complete map of the tunnel system, with the data linking back to Marcus' father, Adam Fenix, and his home, the East Barricade Academy.
Act 4: The Long Road Home - Delta Squad rides a King Raven helicopter to the East Barricade Academy, now ruined and heavily controlled by Locust, losing a second King Raven to an attack by Nemacyst air spores in the sky. The team is dropped off just outside the Academy and are forced to fight their way through massive numbers of Locust on their way to the mansion where Adam Fenix lived. Baird discovers an APC in need of repair at the back of the manor, and he and Cole rush off to repair it while Marcus and Dom search the manor for the data. After finding the hidden laboratory in the basement, they leave their cloaked robot, Jack, to download the data and defend the house against waves of Locust attackers. As Jack finishes downloading the tunnel maps, the two soldiers rush for the newly repaired APC behind the manor, with a gargantuan reptilian-like Locust called a Brumak already charging towards them. Delta Squad and Jack reach the APC just as the Brumak smashes through the manor, escaping the pursuing monster. They arrive at Timgad Bridge which isn't functioning due to the power lines being damaged.
Act 5: Desperation - The team now rushes for the train station to get aboard the Tyro Pillar, an armored freight train carrying the Lightmass Bomb at the front. Locust attack them at the station and prevent Cole and Baird from jumping onto the train as it speeds past, leaving only Marcus and Dom to battle through to the front of the train as it travels across the wasteland towards the Locust stronghold. Unfortunately, they encounter General RAAM at the front of the train, guarding the Lightmass Bomb, though Marcus and Dom are able to defeat him. With a destroyed bridge quickly approaching as the train speeds ahead, Marcus uploads the tunnel data into the Lightmass Bomb and activates it, escaping the train by jumping into a nearby King Raven, with the help of Dom and Colonel Hoffman, seconds before the train falls off of the tracks and into the Imulsion below. The bombs from the Lightmass launch into the Locust tunnels beneath, successfully eradicating most of an important Locust stronghold, and almost all of the Kryll breeding grounds. Hoffman later announces their victory to the rest of the world, but the haunting voice of the Locust Queen clearly says that the Locust have not been defeated, and will continue to fight back.
Appearances
Characters | Creatures | Events | Locations |
Organizations and titles | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
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Creatures
Events
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Locations
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Organizations and titles
Vehicles and vessels
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Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
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Game Editions
Standard/Digital Edition
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Physical Copy
- Civilian Anya MP Character
- Animated Imulsion Weapon Skin
- $10 Xbox Gift Card
- Gears of War 4 Early Beta Access
Deluxe Digital Edition
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Digital Download
- Deluxe MP Weapon Skin Pack (10 Animated, 36 Standard)
- Civilian Marcus Fenix MP Character
- Aaron Griffin MP Character
- Adam Fenix MP Character (pre-order only)
- Civilian Anya MP Character
- Animated Imulsion MP Weapon Skin
- Gears of War 4 Early Beta Access
Xbox One Bundle
- Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Digital Download Code
- 500 GB Xbox One Console
- Xbox One Controller
- Superstar Cole MP Character
- Civilian Anya MP Character
- Animated Imulsion Weapon Skin
- 14-day Xbox Live Trial Code
- Gears of War 4 Beta Early Access
Multiplayer
Multiplayer Characters
COG/Stranded
- Marcus Fenix
- Civilian Marcus (DLC through Deluxe Edition)
- Dominic Santiago
- Commando Dom (Unlocks at level 30)
- Damon S. Baird
- Mechanic Baird (Unlocks at level 50)
- Augustus Cole
- Super Star Cole (DLC through Xbox One Bundle)
- Thrashball Cole (Received by playing the Gears of War: Ultimate Edition Beta on June 20th 2015 from 2:00 - 5:00 PM PDT)
- Anthony Carmine
- Minh Young Kim
- Victor Hoffman
- Adam Jonathon Fenix (Deluxe Edition & Amazon UK Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus)
- Aaron Griffin (DLC through Deluxe Edition)
- Anya Stroud
- Civilian Anya (General All Stores Pre-Order Bonus)
- Samantha Byrne (Unlocks at level 5)
- Richard Prescott (Unlocks at level 10)
- Dizzy Wallin (Unlocks at level 15)
- Marcus Fenix
- Dizzy Wallin Farmer (aka "Big Rig Dizzy" Unlock at level 55)%3A%22Gridlock%22%2C%22wasblank%22%3Atrue%2C%22noforce%22%3Atrue%2C%22wikitext%22%3A%22%5B%5BGridlock%5D%5D%22%7D" title="Gridlock" href="/wiki/Gridlock">Gridlock
- Mansion
- Mausoleum
- Old Bones
- Process
- Raven Down
- Rooftops
- Sanctuary
- Subway
- Tyro Station
- War Machine
Mad World Launch Trailer
A trailer was released for Gears of War: Ultimate Edition paying homage to the original 2006 television advertisement, using the same cover by Gary Jules of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World".
Windows 10 Version
At the PC Gamer E3 Briefing on June 16, 2015, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition was announced for Windows 10. It was released on March 1, 2016 worldwide. Like the original 2007 PC re-release, it has its own achievement list and does not support cross-platform play.
Exclusive Features
- Resolution support up to 4K
- Unlocked refresh rates for both campaign and multiplayer
- Customizable controls for keyboard and a wireless Xbox One controller with Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows
- Includes the Deluxe Weapon Skin Pack and 11 bonus multiplayer character skins
System Requirements
Minimum Specifications
- OS: 64-bit Windows 10 version 1511
- Processor: Intel Core i5 quad core @2.7GHZ+ / AMD FX 6-core
- Memory: 8GB RAM (2GB VRAM)
- Graphics: AMD Radeon R7 260X / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti or equivalent (DirectX12 Compatible)
- Hard Drive: 60 GB available space
- Direct X: 12
Recommended Specifications
- OS: 64-bit Windows 10 version 1511
- Processor: Intel Core i5 @3.5GHz+ / AMD FX 6-core
- Memory: 8 GB RAM (4 GB VRAM)
- Graphics: AMD Radeon R9 290X / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or equivalent (DirectX 12 Compatible)
- Hard Drive: 60 GB available space
- Direct X: 12
Ideal Specifications for 4K
- OS: 64-bit Windows 10 version 1511
- Processor: Intel Core i7 @4GHz+ / AMD FX 8-core
- Memory: 16 GB RAM (6 GB VRAM)
- Graphics: AMD Radeon R9 390X / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti or equivalent (DirectX 12 Compatible)
- Hard Drive: 60 GB available space on a SSD
- Direct X: 12
Behind the scenes
- During the development of Ultimate Edition, it was given the code name "Delta".
- During the Ultimate Edition Beta, the Grenadier Elite was mistakenly labelled as the Hunter.
Technical Issues
- Official forum topic on general issues
- WCCFTech article on AMD performance issues
- Follow-up WCCFTech article on HBAO+ involvement with AMD performance issues
- Forbes article primarily on AMD issues
- ExtremeTech article again on AMD issues
- Ars Technica on Epic Games' CEO bashing Microsoft's UWP initiative
References
External links
Gears of War series | ||
---|---|---|
Main Games: | Gears of War (♫) • Gears of War 2 (♫) • Gears of War 3 (♫) • Gears of War 4 (♫) • Gears 5 (♫) • Gears of War: E-Day | |
Other Games: | RAAM's Shadow • Gears of War: Judgment (♫) • Gears of War: Ultimate Edition • Gears Pop! • Gears Tactics • Gears: Hivebusters | |
Books: | Aspho Fields • Jacinto's Remnant • Anvil Gate • Coalition's End • The Slab • Kilo Squad: The Survivor's Log • Ascendance • Bloodlines • Ephyra Rising | |
Comics: | Hollow • Barren • A Pendulum Wars Story • Dirty Little Secrets • The Rise of RAAM • Hivebusters • Stand-Alone Issues | |
Booklets and Guides: | Destroyed Beauty • Beneath the Surface • The Art of Gears of War • The Art of Gears of War 3 • The Poster Collection • The Art of Gears of War 4 • Retrospective • The Art of Gears 5 • Gears Tactics: The Art of the Game | |
Films and TV: | Gears of War (film) • Gears of War (TV Series) | |
Canceled Games: | Gears of War: Exile • Gears of War: Tactics | |
Other Media: | Gears of War: The Board Game |